cover image Nickel

Nickel

Robert Wilder. Leaf Storm (IPS, dist.), $18.95 (332p) ISBN 978-0-9970207-0-0

In this solidly entertaining debut, a teenage outsider juggles his best friend's mysterious illness and his own screwed-up family while navigating typical high school pitfalls. Ninth-grader Coy is used to being on the outskirts of things%E2%80%94his only real friend is the acerbic Monroe, who shares his love for 1980s pop culture. But as Monroe gets progressively sicker, in what turns out to be nickel poisoning, all Coy can do is provide moral support, which doesn't work as well as he'd like. Meanwhile, Coy's mother is in rehab, his stepfather means well but isn't exactly clued in, and%E2%80%94much to his surprise%E2%80%94one of the popular girls at school wants to date him. As he swerves between hope and heartbreak, Coy tries to find meaning in an increasingly confusing world. Wilder skillfully uses humor and a complex blend of emotions to chronicle this tragicomic slice-of-life story. Although the main characters have a tendency to sling insensitive insults around ("What exactly are you learning, lezbo?"), their hearts mostly seem to be in the right place, making for a satisfying, sometimes thought-provoking narrative. Ages 14%E2%80%93up. (Sept.)